Dictating machine



Feb. 5, 1935. T. H. BEARD ET AL 1,989,783

DIGIAI'ING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FehS, 1935. T. H. BEARD ET AL DICTA'II NG MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 5, 1935.

Original Filed Aug. 16, 1929 T. H. BEARD El AL DICTATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 5, 1935. BEARD r AL 1,989,783

DICTATING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DICTATING mm Theodore H. Beard,

Manfred J. Johnson, and

John E. Blenholdt, Bridgeport, Gonm, assignors to Dictaphone Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1929,-Serial No. 386,484

Renewed May 20, 1932 17 Claims. (Cl. 274-17) This invention relates to dictating machines, and more particularly to condition indicating devices for same.

One of the objects thereof is to provide in a machine of the above character a simple and dependable means for warning the operator in advance of any attempt to record dictation with the sound-box control in other than dictation position. i

A further object is to provide a signal device of the above character which will be efiective only when the machine is not in operation. A further object is to provide a continuous audible warning which will be rendered eflective when the operator removes the mouth-piece from its hook, with the sound-box control in other than dictation position, and which will discontinue t warning immediately upon the machine being put in operation; or upon the sound-box control being shifted into dictation position. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

For a further disclosure of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the invention selected merely for purposes of illustration; and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, of a dictating machine showing some of the operating parts of the present invention in the positions they assume when the machine is in neutral condition.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine with certain parts shown in cross section.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the machine with a portion of the housing cut away to show the clutch control mechanism, with the sound-box carriage and its supports removed and with the electric switch which forms part of the present invention shown incross section. V

Figure-=4 is a top plan view, largely schematic, similar to Figure 1, but with the main frame and related upper parts removed.

Figure 5' is a schematic or diagrammatic view showing more clearly certain features of the in- .vention.

Before proceeding with a detailed description it may be well tonote that a stylus condition warning device to be practical and satisfactory must give its warning to the operator in ample time to prevent him from attempting to record dictation under such conditions aswould result in' failure of effort, thus not only wasting his time, butso interrupting his train of thought as to make it subsequently diflicult for him properly to express himself. In its present form the invention comprises an electric buzzer warning device, incorporated in a dictating machine so as to have the circuit in which it is operated closed whenever the sound-box control is moved into either neutral or reproducing position, thus rendering the buzzer operative to warn the operator that the machine is not in proper condition for recording. There is also provided means which opens the warning device circuit to silence the buzzer should the operator desire to listen back or reproduce matter previously dictated.

Dictating machines have heretofore been equipped with signal devices, the object of which was to give the operator a warning, which might be continuous or intermittent. should he attempt to record dictation while the sound-box control was not in proper position for the taking of dictation. But such devices have been intended to and were designed to cause their signal to-operate only during the operation of the machine. Such an arrangement has several marked disadvantages, one of them being that the signal is not given in time to anticipate at least the beginning of dictation, but sounds at some delayed instant thereafter. On the other hand, after the signal does occur, it becomes a source of annoyance in case the operator wishes to listen inon matter that has'been previously dictated. J

By the present invention the signal is set in operation as soon as the mouthpiece is removed from its hook, providing at the moment the sound-box control lever is not in dictation position. Under these conditions the signal will continue until such time as the operator performs some act to stop it. If, for instance, he wishes to listen to what has been transmitted to the record before, his act in throwing in the clutch to start the rotation of the mandrel and operation of the machine will break the'circuit of the signal device and discontinue the warning. In other words, the warning signal is never given while the mandrel is turning, that is, while the machine is operating, but only at a time when it can cause no annoyance and when its warningwill come in time to be practically effective.

Referring to the drawings, a dictating machine is shown wherein the sound-box is adapted to be conditioned for recording, reproducing or to be in neutral, and comprises a main frame 12, having a left hand standard 13 and a right hand standard 14. A housing 15 formed at one end of the main frame provides a' suitable bearing for a mandrel shaft 16, which supports a mandrel 1'1 at its right or outer end. Upon this mandrel a record cylinder 18 may be mounted. On the opposite end of the mandrel shaft 10 is loosely mounted a driving pulley 19, which is driven in any suitable manner as by a belt (not shown) from the shaft of an electric motor 20.

A sound-box carriage 21 is meunted for travel longitudinally of the record cylLider 18 upon an upper carriage rod 22 and a lower carriage rod 23 forming part of the frame and extending between the said standards 13 and 14. Carriage 21 carries a casing 24 within which is slidably mounted a slide 25. Within this slide is pivotally mounted as by a pin 26, the bail and socket Junction 27 of a telescoping tube 28 and a tone-tube 29. At the rear end of the latter is mounted the soundbox 30 provided with,recording stylus 31 and reproducing stylus 31'. The slide 25 is operatively connected with a sound-box control lever 32 so that when the said lever is moved into one of its three stations, namely, recording, neutral or reproducing, the sound-boxis made to assume a corresponding position. This is accomplished by means of a link 33 having a pivotal connection 34 with the lower end of the control lever and further having a pin slot connection 35 with a rearward extension of the slide 25. I

The hall and socket joint 27 allows the soundbox to have a limited range of movement toward and away from a record cylinder so that it will properly engage record cylinders of various diameters, or to compensate for any eccentricity or run-out of the cylinders. The state control lever 32 is pivotally mounted on the carriage rod .22 within a cut-away portion 36 of the carriage 21, this movement being limited from a substantially vertical position to alternative positions upon either side of the vertical.

Referring to Figure 2, in which the parts are shown in neutral position, a swing to the left of the control lever or toward the front of the machine will move the seund-box into the correct position for the engaging with the record of the recording stylus 31, whfie at the same time permitting said stylus to come down into engagement with the record. A movement of the control lever in the opposite direction, that is, toward the rear of the machine, will permit the reproducing stylus 31' to assume its proper position and to engage the record cylinder, The raising and lowering of the sound-box is accomplished by a lug 41 which 'rides over a guide plate 42 as the tone-tube 29 is moved backward or forward in response to movement of the control lever. Also, it should be noted that when the control lever is in neutral position a cam face 37 thereon engages a cooperating surface on a feed nut 38 to move the feed nut down wardly eut of engagement with the feed screw 39, which extends longitudinally within the carriage rod 22. Under these conditions the operator may freely move the carriage by hand back and forth longitudinally of the machine. When, however, the control lever 32 is swung to either of its operative positions, the cam surface 37 is withdrawn from the feed nut 38, permitting the latter again to move upwardly into engagementwith the feed screw, under the influence of a spring 40. With the parts in this position the carriage may no longer be moved freely relatively to the record cylinder, but is able to take up a mechanical advance due to the rotatiori of the feed screw.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the machine can neither record nor reproduce while the sound-box control lever in its neutral position. This arrangement permits of the loading and unloading the mandrel and also permits forward and back-spacing movements of the carriage without danger of marrihg the record cylinder surface, as

would occur should the carriage be moved while either of the stylii were in engagement with said surface.

The sound-box control mechanism above described is more fully described and disclosed in the following patents No. 1,003,265. No. 100,024 and No. 1,093,732. Thesepatents and this construction have been referred to and described as a matter of convenience, but it is to be understood that the present invention may be adapted to the use of s-eund-boxes and controls operating in a difl'erent manner. I

It will be understood, of course, that when the machine is in operation the mandrel will have to rotate and the carriage will have to move longitudirially with respect thereto in order that the stylus may cut its groove, or follow its groove, the manner usual with this type of machine. It is therefore necessary to provide a clutch mecha= nism whereby mandrel rotation and carriage feed may be started and stopped at will in order not needlessly to use up record space should the operator stop dictation to collect his thoughts or to refer to extraneous data.

As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the clutch mechanism comprises a toothed member 43 forming a hub .for the driving pulley 19, which runs loosely upon the mandrel shaft 16. A single toothed clutch disc 44 may be thrown into or out of driven engagement with the member 43 by means of a rod 45 which extends interiorly of the mandrel shaft to a point where it is secured to a clutch collar 46 by means of a pin 47. A clutch operating yoke 48 pivotally mounted on a stud 49 is provided with lugs 56 which fit within a groove 51 of the collar.

A spring 52 (see Figures 1 and 3) is connected to the lower part of the clutch shifting yoke 48 and extends to a pin 57, where it may be operated by means of a button 58, which when pressed causes a plunger 59 secured to the lower end of the wire to engage a bell crank lever 60, pivotally mounted as at 61. The other arm of the bell crank lever 6C= engages a shelf 62 formed on an arm 63, which forms a part of the clutch shifting yoke mechanism. This engagement causes the arm 63 to move downwardly and shift the clutch yoke about its,

pivot 49 so as to shift the collar 46 and bring the clutch parts into engagement. This produces rotation of the mandrel and of the feed screw 39. Thus by a motion of his thumb" engaging the button 58, the clutch is actuated and the machine set in operation, and upon release of the button is rendered inoperative, for with the clutch part in engagement the rotating driving'pulley turns the mandrel l7 and alse the record cylinder supported thereon, and as stated above, extends the motion to the feed screw 39 causing it to move the carriage reiatively with respect to the record cylinder. This occurs, of course, only when the 53 on the under side of the main frame 12 and serves to hold the yoke in a' sound-box control is in either recording 'or reproducing position, for when the control is irr neutrai position the feed nut will be disengaged from the feed screw and no movement of the same will follow.

To use the machine for dictation, the control lever having been thrown to recording position,

it is customary for the operator to remove the mouthpiece from its hook. These parts are shown at 64 and 65 respectively, and this movement serves also to close the circuit of the motor from which the mandrel shaft derives its motion. This is accomplished through the operative connection of the hook 65 with the link 100 having an arm 101, which bears down upon an axially movable switch 102, forming part of the motor supply circuit 103, 104. This circuit may be connected to any suitable source of power, such as a light or wall socket. Included in said circuit is a variable resistance 68, through which the speed of the motor may to a certain extent be controlled. This resistance also makes it possible to use the motor with various standard voltages.

With the motor running, the operator may now press the starting button 58 to engage the clutch parts and put the machine in operation. Similarly, if the control lever is in its rearmost or reproducing position, the operator may press the embodies an electric buzzer with a novel control arrangement whereby the buzzer is rendered operative whenever the sound-box control lever is in either its neutral or reproducing position, and while themouthpiece is removed from the switch hook. The signal is then given, and may be discontinued at will by the operator in the case where the parts are, set for reproducing, by manipulating the starting button 58. He is then able to listen in without being annoyed by the v action of the buzzer.

Referring to Figure 5, the bumer is shown at 66. This buzzer may be of any well known type and may be attached at any convenient point to the frame of the machine. Connected in circuit with the buzzer 66 is an electric control switch designated generally by 67, which is mounted on the underside of the main frame 12 near the head end thereof, as may be clearly seen by reference to Figures 3 and 4. This switch is designed, to be closed whenever the control lever 32 is moved 'either to neutral or reproducing position.

By reference to Figures 4 and it will be seen 'that the low voltage current desirable for operation of the buzzer is derived by means of a shunt connection across the commutator brushes of the driving motor. This source of power has the advantage of providing a low voltage current, such as is ordinarily required for'an electric buzzer, regardless of the regular line voltage characteristics. For instance, the regular line voltage usually encountered where dictation machines I are to be used is either at 110 or 220 volts A. C.,

or may be direct current of similar voltages. Now

this high voltage is most impractical for operation of a signal device, but it should be noted that the electric motor usually provided in dictating machines is of the universal type so that with the aid of the variable resistancethe motor may be made to operate on any voltage from say 32 volts up to 220. For bestoperation of the motor, the resistance is adjusted so that the regular line voltage will be reduced to approximately small series motors used in dictation machines show a potential of about 20 volts across the armature when running at the normal speed required for satisfactory operation of the machine. Thus regardless of the input line voltage, the voltage derived for signal purposes remains substantially constant so long as the motor speed is maintained at its proper value.

Referring again to the drawings a wire 69 leads from a commutator brush 70 to a terminal 71 of the electric buzzer, and another wire 72 leads from the second motor brush 73 to the terminal 74 of the fixed contact 75 forming part of the electric switch 67. From the contact 75 current passes to the movable switch part 76,

when the switch is closed, whenceit is led by means of wire 77 back to the terminal 78 of the buzzer. This switch is normally held closed whenever the sound-box control lever is in either neutral or reproducing position by the tension of the spring 92. The buzzer circuit is opened whenever the sound-box control is moved into recording position as follows: A lever 79, best shown in Figures 2 and 5, is turned in a clockwise direction about its pivot 80 whenever the control 32 is moved forwardly into recording position. This movement of the lever 79 takes place through its connection at 79' with the link 33 connecting the sound-box lever with the slide 25 of the tonetube support. The lower end of the lever 79 is moved toward the front of the machine and is always in engagement with a ball 81, pivotally mounted on the lower carriage guide rod 23. This bail extends substantially the entire distance between the left hand support 13 and the right hand support 14 of the frame, so that the lever 79, though mounted on the carriage, will always be in engagement with some part of the bail 811 The bail is also in constant contact with an upstanding arm 82 formed on a bell crank lever 83, which is pivotally mounted in the frame and as it is moved by the bail so it in turn moves the bell crank lever, in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 5, thus moving the lower arm 84 of said lever toward the right.

A stud 85 positioned upon the lower arm 84 engages the outer end of an elongated slot 86 formed at one end of a link member 87, which has its opposite end fixed by means of a stud 88 to the movable switch arm 89, (see Figure 4), and serves to move the movable contact 76 of said switch out of engagement with the fixed contact 75, thereby to open the buzzer circuit and cause discontinuance of the signah Thus; by merely shifting the sound-box control lever 32 into recording position the electric buzzer switch is opened and the electric buzzer is rendered inoperative, and by the lack of signal serves to show the operator that the machine is in proper condition for recording. If the control lever is again moved into neutral position or even further back into reproducing position, the link 33 is moved forwardly to set the sound-box 30 into its neutral or reproducing station. At the same time the lever 79 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, and the ball 81 moves about its pivot asthe bell crank lever 83 rotates under the infiuence of the tension spring 90. Ihe lower arm 84 of the ;hell crank lever moving toward the 5 pulley end. of the machine permits the movable switch arm 89 to swing about its pivot 91 under the influence of spring 92 until the movable contact 76 engages the fixed contact "(5 and closes the electric buzzer circuit. Upon further movement of the bell crank lever, the stud 85 moves I out of engagement with the end of the slot 86, moving forwardly until it is approximately central in said slot.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the buzzer l5 switch 67 is normally closed whenever the soundbox control lever is in either neutral or reproducing position and that a warning will result if the operator removes the mouthpiece from its hook.

But another important feature of the invention 20 resides in the fact that although the buzzer sounds its-warning when, the machine being in condition to reproduce, the operator removes the mouthpiece from its hook, this warning is immediately discontinued by his subsequently manipulating 25 the starting button 58 to engage the clutch parts and actually set the machine in operation. This is accomplished through the operation of the clutch shifting yoke 48. The movable switch lever 89 has at its forward end an upstanding ear 30 93 which lies in a position to be engaged by an offset forwardly/extending arm 94 forming part of the clutch sl ifting yoke mechanism 48. When the clutch yoke is rotated about its pivot 49 to start mandrel rotation and carriage movement,

35 the lower end of the yoke moving in a clockwise direction engages the upstanding ear 93 to swing the switch arm 89 on the stud 91 and fleet disengagement of the switch contacts '1 and 76, thus opening the buzzer circuit. During this 40 operation the link 87, which is connected at the opposite end of the switch arm at 88, is moved to the right as viewed in Figure 5, but does not cause movement of the bell crank lever 83, because the slot 86 provides a limited range of free 45 movement with respect to the stud 85, without causing a shift of the bell crank lever.

Thus it will be seenthat whenever the soundbox control lever'is in reproducing position and the mouthpiece 64 is oil the hook 65, the operator 50 is eflectively warned that the machine is so conditioned for as long as the machine remains inactive, which is the critical time for him to receive his warning. However, when he consciousiy desires to'- reproduce or listen back over 55 a portion of a cylinder which contains recorded matter, he is able by pressing button 58 to cause the clutch yoke to move the switch arm 89 and open the buzzer circuit, so that the buzzer is automatically put out of operation.

It should be noted that other forms of warning devices might be used without changing the intent or character of this invention. For instance, it might be desired to employ a visible rather than an audible signal, in which case a lamp might be'lighted under the same conditions the buzzer is made to sound in the foregoing escription. It should also be noted-that the I use of'a drive motor to supply a reduced voltage /isnot limited to signal devices as other dictating 9., machine functions requiring similarly low volt- I ,age's might derive their power in the same mann r.; And it is not necessary that the derivedv ltage be obtained across the two regular brushes of the motor, for by the addition of a third movable brush any desired faction of the total poten-.-.

weaves tial drop across the motor brushes may be had.

Itwill be seen from the foregoing that the applicants have attained by their invention all of the aims and objects hereinbefore set forth in a simple, reliable and workmanlike manner; that 5 the devices and parts used may be simply and easily applied to machines already in use without there being necessary any radical change in their. construction.

As various embodiments might be made of this invention, and as various changes might be made in the construction herein described, all without departing-from the scope of the invention. it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim 1. In a dictating machine, in combination, a start and stop control, a sound-box control, a warning device, means for rendering said warning device effective prior to actuation of said start and stop control when said sound-box control occupies other than a certain selected position, and means for rendering said warning device inef-v fective when said start and stop control is actuated to cause operation of the machine.

2. In a dictating machine, in combination, mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a warning device, means for causing said device to act prior to the operation of the machine if said mechanism is in reproducing position, and, means acting when said machine is set in operation for causing cessation of the action of said warning device.

3. In a dictating machine, in combination, a frame, a record-Sup rt mounted on said frame, a sound-box'mounted for progressive movement along said frame, control means for controlling the operation of said record support, control means for moving said sound-box into recording or reproducing position, a warning device, means for rendering said warning device effective prior to operation of said record-support control means when said sound-box occupies its reproducing position, and for rendering said warning device ineifective when said sound-box occupies its recording position, and means for rendering said warning device ineffective under all conditions when said record-support is in operation.

4. In a dictating machine, in combination, a frame, a record-support mounted on said frame, a sound-box mounted for progressive movement along said frame. control means for controlling the operation of said record-support, control means for moving said sounddbox selectively into recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a warning device, means for setting said warning device in operation when said sound-box is moved to either its neutral or reproducing position, and means causing'discontinuance of the operation of said warning device when said record-support start and stop device, a sound-box control, an electric warning device, a source of current, a circuit including said warning device and said source of current, a switch in said circuit, and means for closing said switch to operate said warning device if said sound-box control is in certain selective positions and said start and stop device remains inoperative, but adapted to open said switch if said start and stop device is made operative.

'7. In a dictating machine, in-combination, a frame, a record-support, a startand-stop device for said record-support, a carriage movable along said frame relatively tosaid record-support, a sound-box mounted on said carriage having recording, neutral and reproducing positions relative to said record-support, means for controlling the position oi said sound-box, a mouthpiece, a movable mouthpiece support mounted on said frame, a circuit connected with an electric supply, means associated with said mouthpiece support adapted to break said circuit, means associated with said mouthpiece adapted to actuate said start and stop device, an electric warning device, a circuit connected to said first circuit and including said warning device and an electric switch, means associated with said sound-box control means for closing said switch when said sound-box is moved to either neutral or reproducing position and permitting said switch to stand .open when saidsound-box is moved to recording position, and means associated with said start and stop device adapted to open said switch when it has been closed by movement of said sound-box control.

8. In warning devices for dictating machines, in combination, a source of current, an electrically operated signal, a circuit including said source of current and said signal, a drive shaft and a driven shaft, start-and-stop control mechanism controlling driving connections between said drive and driven shafts, a switch in said circuit, means independent of said start-and-stop control mechanism for closing said switch, and

means made operable by the operation of said start-and-stop control for opening said switch to render said signal inoperative.

9. In warning devices for dictating machines,

in combination, a source of current, an electrically operated signal, a circuit including said source of current and said signal, a sound-box control device, a switch in said circuit, means associated with said sound-box control device for controlling the actuation of said switch alterna-. tively to permit or prevent operation of said signal, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft, start-andstop control means controlling driving connections between said drive and driven shafts, and means made operable by the operation of said start-and-stop control device for opening said switch to render said signal inoperative.

10. In a dictating machine, in combination, a mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a warning device, means for causing said device to act prior to the operation of the machine if said mechanism is in neutral position, and means acting when said machine is set in operation for causing cessation of the action of said warning device.

11. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support start-and-stop device, 'a soundbox control, a warning device, a source of energy, means for rendering said source available to said warning device, and means under the control of said start-and-stop device and of said sound-box control for controlling the supply of energy to the warning device.

12. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support start-and-stop device, an electric warning device, a source of electrical energy, means responsive to the commission of a manual act incidental to dictation for connecting said source to said warning device, and means controlled by said start-and-stop device for disconnecting said source from said warning device when said start-and-stop device is set in the start position.

13. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support start-and-stop device, a soundbox control having recording, neutral and reproducing positions, an electric warning device, a source of electric energy, a switch for rendering said source available to said warning device, means actuating said switch to connect said source and warning device when said sound-box is in neutral or reproducing positions, and means actuating said switch to disconnect said source and warning device when said stop-and-start device is operated to start the machine.

14. In warning devices for dictating machines, in combination, a source of current, an electrically operated signal, a circuit including said source of current and said signal, a switcn in said circuit, a sound-box control device, a record-supportstart and-stop control means, means associated with said sound-box control device for controlling the actuation of said switch alternatively to permit or prevent operation of said signal, and means made operable by the operation of said start-and-stop control for opening said switch for rendering said signal inoperative.

15. In a dictating machine, in combination, a first control means and a second control means actuatable successively for setting said machine in operation, a warning device adapted to be rendered effective upon actuation of said first control means, means for rendering said warning device inefiective upon actuation of said second control means, machine-conditioning means, and means actuatable by said conditioning means for determining whether said warning device will become effective upon actuation of said first control means.

16. In a dictating machine, in combination, a mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having recording, and reproducing positions, a warning device, means for causing said device to act prior to the operation of the machine if said mechanism is in reproducing position, and means acting when said machine is set in operation for causing cessation of the action of said warning device.

1'7. In a dictating machine, in combination, driving means, control means for' said driving means, a mandrel shaft, means controlling a connection between said driving means and said mandrel shaft, a warning device adapted to become effective when saidfirst control means is actuated to start the driving means, a sound-box, sound-box conditioning means, means actuatable by said conditioning means for rendering said warning device efiective or ineffective upon actuation of said first control means, and means for rendering said warning device ineffective upon actuation of said second control means.

THEODORE H. BEARD. MANFRED J. JOHNSON. JOHN E. RENHOIDT. 

